IT’S TIME FOR RIVERS PEOPLE AND PDP TO STAND UP TO WIKE

By Soibi Versatile

The 2023 elections are drawing near and political forces are already begining to do their gimmicks and permutations that will enable them clinch one office or the other. It was by this time 7 years ago that elections to install new leaders were about to begin. Rivers State a strong hold state of the PDP was in the hands of their defected Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

Amaechi who was part of the G7 Governors had left the Peoples Democratic Party for APC after many years due to differences with then President Goodluck Jonathan.
Nyesom Wike a then minister in the Jonathan regime and former Chief of Staff to Governor Rotimi Amaechi whom he was at loggerheads with decided to run for Governorship.

Wike’s pretext was that he knew Amaechi well enough and understood what to do to get the party back for the PDP having helped the governor during his ordeal in his legal battle with his adversary Hon Celestine Omehia.

Amaechi’s reason for falling out with Wike was his overbearing attitude towards power hence sending his name to the Presidency for ministerial appointment so as to weaken his interference in the state.

Wike who had been nursing Governorship ambitions right from when Amaechi won the Supreme Court case, on their first entrance to the Governor’s Residency made an outburst that shocked his boss
” Me I go wan be governor “

Amaechi had taken his outburst seriously and was much later warned by his friend Apostle Johnson Suleiman that Nyesom Wike will betray him. Wike who later got to know about this revelation swore to Governor Rotimi Amaechi that he will never betray him. Barrister Nyesom Wike even went as far as swearing on his children’s life.

However the former Governor Rotimi Amaechi had taken a precaution to this warning by sending Wike to Abuja to serve as minister so as to ensure whatever sinister move he was making was going to be thrown overboard. Wike in his cunning manner established the Grassroot Development Initiative ( GDI ) to strengthen his grip on the state and was making frequent trips to Port Harcourt for meetings.

Wike’s plan became clearer when Amaechi and the first lady Mrs Patience Jonathan fell out, a situation that partly led to Amaechi’s defection from PDP to APC. Wike quickly sided with Mrs Jonathan and created the impression that he was the one to deal with Amaechi.

Amaechi who is an indigence of Ikwerre land just like Barrister Wike had said it would be a scandal for an Ikwerre man to succeed him as Governor citing the importance of rotation of powers among the various tribes in the state for unity sake. Wike was not ready to listen to that as his major campaign was to bring order back to Rivers State which his boss Amaechi had taken away and that he alone could do it.

Barrister Wike blamed Amaechi for insecurity in the state and also accused him of selling Rivers State assets to fund Buhari’s election. This ploy worked as Rivers people were already unhappy with Governor Rotimi Amaechi over his attitude toward Goodluck Jonathan a fellow Southerner. For them it was anything but Amaechi so despite it not being the turn of Ikwerre again they decided to support the ambition of Barrister Nyesom Wike against Amaechi’s candidate Dr Dakuku Peterside.

Amaechi warned Rivers people about Nyesom Wike, calling him a money monger and a man who would betray even his mother for money.
Wike on the other hand called Amaechi a thief.

” I ( Rotimi Amaechi) challenge Wike to show Nigerians any company I own and other account numbers I operate other than the Zenith Bank account, which is the only account I operate.

“But I can publish names of several companies and account numbers which Wike owns if he challenges me.

“I can’t be here and a thief will be calling me a thief and denting my image.”

Despite this the riverine people gave Nyesom Wike all the support he needed and he became Governor. Wike masked his intentions which is to steal more money for himself and for his well wishers and began with the pretext of projects.

By doing project with inflated costs Wike blinded the eyes of common Rivers people who felt he was really after the interest of the state. His numerous flyovers that do not even solve the main traffic issue in the state has been applauded by his sychophants.

The flyovers which are mainly overhead bridges cost about 13 billion naira which is way above the actual cost of doing the project was carried out by Julius Berger his major financier for elections. Wike had collaborated with the German company to inflate contracts and steal. It can be recalled that Governor Bala Mohammed and Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State did a better multiple layer bridge with less than one billion and at a higher quality. Even the bridges built in Ebonyi State are far superior to the ones Wike has done yet his media teams have been in the habit of lying and propaganda.

Barrister Wike had appointed Paulinus Nsirim a pastor as commissioner for information to make it appear like his declarations were always true when in truth Wike is full of lies and deceit. His refusal to pay gratuity to Rivers State retirees while giving donations to others states is a sign of the inhumane heart he possesses. Wike has also failed to create a single job something his predecessor Amaechi did by creating 13,000 jobs. Not a single factory like his contemporary Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State has done but his legacy is Projects over inflated for his selfish driven objectives.

In November 2020 after youths had complained of unemployment. He decided to play a fast one on them by telling them to submit credentials which have become a heap of materials for suya sellers in the state. Till today no one has been employed.

Take no credit away from him for at least doing something but where the blame lies is blaming his predecessor for something and doing worse. Wike had blamed Amaechi for systematic corruption during his time as Governor and even set up an investigation panel against him while he himself has pocketed the judges in the state with huge sums of money so he could always have his way and go unchallenged in his dirty antics and corruption game.

For the first time in Rivers State Rivers people have been charmed and fooled that most of them cannot raise their voices against a Governor who has failed to impact lives like his predecessor did. Amaechi’s Government did things that affected every family for good one way or the other. I say this not as a member of APC or any political party but as a true observer of the political climate in the state. His development plan for the state has been one sided with over 80% being done for the Ikwerre areas where his people reside. Wike is not just a thief, he is a tribal bigot, a dictator who thinks everyone must bow down to worship him. He has bought properties everywhere in the state with filling stations and lands in the 23 local government areas. If Amaechi stole a thousand Wike has stolen ten thousand.

His disgusting attitude is the reason PDP have had internal tussles with Wike wanting to have his way every time simply because he thinks he has enough state money to fund the party. Wike who insisted on the appointment of Prince Uche Secondus so he could get a Vice President slot in 2019 turned against him after the latter refused to be used as an errand boy to him. Wike rose angrily against Secondus and attempted to destabilize the party just to fulfil his vengeance of not having his way. In 2019 he was at loggerheads with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar former Vice President of Nigeria and Dr Bukola Saraki former Senate President two men senoir to him politically for appointing Ndidi Elumelu against his own wishes. Virtually everyone who helped Wike get his wishes who is not from his tribe he has fallen out with even with Mrs Patience Jonathan. His insult on Edo State Deputy Governor yesterday is just one of his too many indiscretions and his characteristic jungle behavior.

His recent antics of creating more tax avenues on businesses not eligible for taxation is another game plan to steal more money so he can fund his Presidential ambition should he manage to maneuver his way in the party. Wike has developed a “big head” and is becoming a Vladimir Putin not just for Rivers State but also for PDP and dictators like him need to be stood up to in likewise manner of their antics. His attitude of wanting to bully the state and PDP to get his political goals achieved has crossed the line and it is about time the people of Rivers State and Peoples Democratic Party stood up to him and looked at him eyeball to eyeball.


Soibi Versatile is Daily Memoirs Chief Writer

Rivers Politics

H

Is it d same Wike d Mr project?Mr writer pls do d needful and hang yourself

iokpebholo:
Is it d same Wike d Mr project?Mr writer pls do d needful and hang yourself

U dont know the standard of success in my state. Projects is not media noise. Amaechi sent over 1000 people abroad and built 256 primary School